December 11, 2013 7:47pm ESTDecember 11, 2013 5:29pm ESTA two-year, $20 million contract for a 40-year-old starter may seem like a bad investment, but it smells sweet for the New York Mets, a team loaded with young starters, as they add Bartolo ColonBartolo Colon(AP Photo)

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Things are finally starting to take shape for the New York Mets. While their latest move — a two-year, $20 million agreement with free-agent starter Bartolo Colon — might make it tempting to say that the shape is "round," there really does appear to be a new day dawning in Queens.

Wednesday was the fifth anniversary of the arrest of Bernie Madoff, which threw things into disarray for the Mets because of owner Fred Wilpon's significant investments with the Ponzi schemer. New York has not had a winning record since then, and while it is debatable whether the Mets will get over .500 in 2014, they are clearly pointing in the right direction.

One scout called Colon a "good sign" for the Mets, and when putting his resume next to that of Scott Feldman, who got a three-year, $30 million deal from the Houston Astros, it certainly is. Colon turns 41 in May, which scared most teams off giving him a second year, but given where the Mets are, it makes sense.

Colon had a 2.65 ERA and 1.166 WHIP for the Oakland A's in 2013, and now he is moving to the National League, with the obvious benefits that entails for a pitcher — the spilt between leagues in 2013 was 22 OPS points thanks to Senior Circuit pitchers having to wield the bat. While Oakland's O.co Coliseum is a pitcher-friendly park, the Mets' home park, Citi Field, rates about the same. As a fly-ball pitcher, Colon also should benefit from a speedy outfield that includes Juan Lagares and new signees Curtis Granderson and Chris Young, the latter two former and now current teammates of the right-hander.

While the Mets are a good fit for Colon, he is also a good fit for them because of the state of their rotation. Ace Matt Harvey will miss the 2014 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, so Colon has more responsibility in the first year of the deal than the second, as he will anchor a staff currently projected to feature Zack Wheeler, Jon Niese, Dillon Gee and Jenrry Mejia behind him. The average age of the other four starters is 25, which puts the Mets in position to benefit from the veteran stability Colon will bring. Even young opponents have drawn lessons from watching the 2005 Cy Young Award winner pitch.

"Every time we faced Oakland, he's basically got four different fastballs," Astros hurler Jarred Cosart told Sporting News. "He's got a straight one, he's got one that sinks, one that cuts, and one that's basically invisible, like a BP fastball. Instead of preparing for fastball, curveball, slider, you're basically looking at four different fastballs, and he probably threw 75 percent fastballs. It goes to show what a guy with good command can do, because not just against us, but every team he faces, he's giving his team a chance."

A chance is what the Mets want. A multiyear deal for a pitcher past his 40th birthday certainly is a risk, but with the organization holding high hopes for pitching prospects Noah Syndergaard, Rafael Montero, Jacob deGrom and Cory Mazzoni, signing Colon represents the kind of bridge to the future that the Mets need.

By signing for 2015 as well as 2014, Colon can be part of that future as he winds down his career. The Mets similarly had to give Granderson a fourth year to get him to sign, but in both cases, New York kept its annual investment at a reasonable rate — spending $25 million a year for a top-of-the-rotation starter and a cleanup hitter imported as free agents is almost unthinkable for most teams, but Alderson has pulled it off.

The Mets still have other issues, including figuring out what to do with the Ike Davis/Lucas Duda redundancy at first base, determining who the starting shortstop will be, and stocking the bullpen. The overall youth of the pitching staff is an issue, as well, but one the Mets can roll the dice on. Bona fide contender status cannot be conferred yet, but the Mets' outlook, for the first time in a long time, is legitimately good.